Salamaua-Wau
pp. 75-76 · Read in the full issue
Road
T'HE plan to build a road from
Salamaua to Wau, having sur
vived attacks on grounds of politics,
finance and engineering, seems now likely to be held up, owing to the war.
The position, at the middle of August, was that the road engineers had found it impossible to obtain a practicable route through the Bitoi valley—which repre sents the shortest track between Sala maua and Wau. There was a stretch of several miles through the Bitoi gorge on the top of the ranges through which they considered it impossible to put a good road. A rough examination was then made of the country somewhat south of the Bitoi route, and it was announced, about August 20, that the road engineers considered that a route thereabouts was practicable—namely, it would follow the same track up from Salamaua and into the Bitoi gorge, but it left the Bitoi half way up the mountain and bent away to the southwards, using another series of valleys, and by this means it got over the top of the range at a height of about 6,400 feet. It is estimated that there are two or three miles which would be above the 6,000 feet level.
This route, it was emphasised, was sub ject to survey by the road engineers, but at that time it appeared practicable. It added about five miles on to the esti mated Bitoi route (making a total of about 53 miles from Salamaua to Wau) and it would cut out the Black Cat dis trict altogether—a fact that was re gretted, as there is valuable gold in the valleys around the Black Cat area.
Late in August the New Guinea Mining Association members were congratulating themselves that at last a practicable route had been found and finance pro vided (new subscriptions had been noti fied, bringing the total sum subscribed to the road loan up to £155,000) and it was then anticipated that preliminaries soon would be over, and tenders called for the rest of the work.
Since then, however, wartime conditions have supervened and it is considered im probable that the road work will be pro ceeded with during the period of the war.
M.L.C. Seeks Information
IN August, Mr. W. E. Grose, member of the New Guinea Legislative Council, gave notice that at the September meet ing of the Council he would move: That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into and report upon all as pects of the proposal to construct a road connecting the Morobe goldfields with the coast and in particular to inquire into and report upon:— (a) 1. The most practicable and ser viceable route which the proposed road should follow, having particular regard for the interests to be served now and in the future by such a road. 2. Whether a road can be con structed along such a route for a sum approximating that authorised to be raised by Ordinance No. 44 of 1938 and, if not, what the additional amount required would be. 3. The estimated cost of maintain ing a road along such route. 4. Whether the anticipated revenue to be earned from such a road would approximate the cost of maintenance, plus interest and redemption charges; and, if not, what the annual deficit would amount to.
(b) 1. Whether a road along the route approved by the Commonwealth Govern ment can be constructed for a sum ap proximating that authorised to be raised by Ordinance No. 44 of 1938. And, if not, what is the estimated cost of construction along that route. 2. Whether the anticipated revenue, to be earned from a road along this route, would approximate the cost of maintenance, plus interest and redemp tion charges; and, if not, what the annual deficit would be. 3. The estimated cost of maintain ing a road along this route.
And that such Committee consist of
Hons. H. H. Page, H. O. Townsend, E.
Taylor, R. L. Clark, J. C. Mullaly and the mover. That such Committee have leave to send for persons, papers and records and to move from place to place. That the Committee report to the Council on the first day of the next meeting of the Council.
Motion Defeated
The motion was moved on September 4 by Mr. Grose, and seconded by Mr.
R. L. Clark.
Mr. N. P. H. Neale opposed it.
Mr. C. R. Field, Mr. H. H. Page, Mr. G.
G. Hogan and Mr. B. B. Perriman said that the motion was too late. An inquiry at an earlier stage might have been help ful; but, now, it would mean only delay.
Mr. Field emphasised the engineering difficulties still to be overcome; and Mr.
Page said the Administration still was seeking a practicable way over “the short est route”.
The motion was defeated.
Professor Arnold Heim, of the Univer sity of Zurich, who was seeking permission to make an excursion into the New Guinea interior to study the primitive people of the newly-opened valleys, ar rived in Papua bv the Aueust “Maet suycker” from Java. After visiting Rigo, he left Port Moresby for Rabaul, N.G., by the August “Macdhui”.
Mr. H. R. Surridge. Agricultural Officer in the Fiji Government Service, re turned to Suva after spending furlough abroad by the “Remuera” in mid-August.